Centre Rejects Karnataka Claims on High Ethanol Blending in Fuel Samples

The Petroleum Ministry has rejected Karnataka's claims of excessive ethanol in petrol, confirming that all 893 tested samples across India meet the mandated E20 quality standards and follow strict Bureau of Indian Standards specifications.

Ministry Response and Findings

All 893 samples of E20 petrol drawn from public sector oil marketing companies across 27 States and Union Territories have conformed to prescribed quality standards, refuting claims of excessive ethanol blending, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The clarification follows assertions by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology, Government of Karnataka, which claimed that motor spirit sold at specific retail outlets in the state contained between 26 per cent and 31 per cent ethanol.

Statutory Standards and Compliance

Three state-run Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, highlighted that ethanol blending is a controlled and automated process operating under statutory guidelines rather than manual interventions.

Quality monitoring conducted by the Centre for High Technology under the Ministry established that fuel drawn from 330 IOCL, 280 BPCL, and 283 HPCL retail points complied with the mandated 19 per cent to 21 per cent range under Bureau of Indian Standards specification IS 17021.

Within Karnataka, all 56 tested samples registered an average blending level of 19.30 per cent.

Clarification on Karnataka Sampling Issues

The Ministry said that the October 2026 exercise conducted in Karnataka bypassed statutory sampling procedures set out in the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel Control Order, 2005, and the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024.

The Ministry noted that the prescribed procedure requires six one-litre samples to be drawn, with two samples handed over to the dealer against acknowledgement, two retained by the oil company or department, and two sent to a laboratory specified under Schedule III of the Control Order or notified in the Official Gazette.

It added that the state authorities failed to share retention samples, outlet details, or certified laboratory documentation.

"The certificates cited in the Karnataka press release merely mention 'Ethanol % by Gas Chromatography', without specifying the applicable standard test method, the prescribed dilution procedure or the reference material used for correction," the Ministry said, pointing out that without these parameters, the figures cannot be validated under IS 17021.

Technical assessments also flagged inconsistencies in density figures reported by the third-party facility, which ranged between 0.742 and 0.749 g/cc, despite higher ethanol content naturally increasing blend density.

Impact on Vehicles and Market Claims

Addressing projections regarding vehicle damage and consumer financial impact, official studies conducted with the Automotive Research Association of India and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers show actual mileage reductions stay within 1 per cent to 6 per cent depending on vehicle calibration.

Over 34 crore vehicles operate on the fuel nationwide without widespread mechanical failures.

During the ethanol supply year 2025-26 ending October 31, 2026, state refiners blended 1,134 crore litres of ethanol.

The Ministry noted that excess blending provides no commercial rationale, as procuring additional ethanol directly increases procurement expenditure for the oil companies.

OMCs have rejected claims by the Karnataka government that petrol sold at certain retail outlets in the state contains 26–31 per cent ethanol, as per a separate release by the OMCs.

The three OMCs asserted that E20 petrol supplied nationwide complies with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specification IS 17021, rejecting the Karnataka government's claim that petrol sold at certain retail outlets in the state contains 26–31 per cent ethanol.

"The OMCs would like to clarify that the claims, as reported, are not supported by testing conducted in accordance with the prescribed statutory and technical procedures. E20 petrol supplied by the three OMCs across the country, including Karnataka, conforms to IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline," the release said.

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